Deviate Digital CEO Sammy Andrews has told Music Week that there is “absolutely no excuse to pay women less” in the wake of the release of the gender pay gap figures.

Warner Music UK last week revealed a gender pay gap of 49%, while Universal Music UK’s figure is 29.8% and Sony Music UK’s 22.7%.

Live Nation declared an average gap of 46%, with 35% for its Ticketmaster subsidiary, and Anschutz Sports Holdings – which owns The O2 and AEG Presents – revealed a 43.3% difference. Last week also saw PPL and PRS For Music reveal contrasting gender pay gap figures, while Apple disclosed a gender pay gap of 26% at its corporate entity Apple (UK).

“There is absolutely no excuse to pay women less,” Andrews told Music Week. “In fact it’s illegal to do so, but you wouldn’t know that from what we have seen here and there are many wider issues at play, too.”

There are also endless accounts of patronising bosses and women being repeatedly overlooked for promotions

Sammy Andrews

Speaking in the new issue of Music Week, out now, Andrews told of her experiences of speaking to female music executives who didn’t receive adequate support when returning to work after childbirth.

“Some tell me they were outright bullied out of positions and paid off to leave,” Andrews explained. “There are also endless accounts of patronising bosses and women being repeatedly overlooked for promotions. We also see now in hard facts that many are missing out on substantial bonus cash in comparison to the male counterparts.”

Subscribers can read the full story, which includes an interview with diversity consultant and former MD of LD Communications Claire Singers, online here.

Andrew also moved to urge “all women in music in the UK to ask employers for pay reviews over the coming days, weeks and months”.

Meanwhile, BPI and BRIT Awards chief executive Geoff Taylor told Music Week: “We want to see a business where everyone has a fair opportunity to succeed, and we want a business that is diverse and reflects our population in this country. We support the efforts of our members to achieve that.”